Changing lives, one smiley face at a time

October 25, 2013

Happy Hoods creator Carri Coudek at her booth during the Labor Day Arts & Crafts Fair at Bishop City Park. Everyone who buys a Happy Hood is required to take the following pledge: “I pledge to be kind, considerate and thoughtful towards others and I pledge not to bully.” Photo by Darcy Ellis

Happy Hoods founder Carri Coudek wants everyone to know that her evolving anti-bullying program “is alive and well” and fostering more community activism during October’s National Bullying Awareness Month and all year round.
Anti-bullying efforts are never-ending for Coudek. “People are asking me to be more visible in the community. Kids are always approaching me. ‘Carri, can I tell you what happened to me?’ They’re being bullied in school. I get parents and grandmothers, they tell me about their kids being bullied.”
Since 2012, Coudek has been active locally and on the road, bringing the Happy Hoods program to any school or organization that expresses interest – and interest is growing as awareness of the extent and nature of bullying grows, she said. “I’m here for the community, to add to ongoing anti-bully school efforts. I’m in favor of more community involvement, too, getting people’s voices heard.”
Read more in the Oct. 26, 2013 edition of The Inyo Register.